: The episode concludes with a haunting recording of Mulder under hypnosis, where he utters the series' signature phrase, "I want to believe," for the first time.
, the fourth episode of The X-Files' first season, is a pivotal installment that shifts the series from simple paranormal investigation into a deep, emotional character study. Premiering on October 1, 1993, it is most notable for being the first episode to explicitly delve into Fox Mulder's driving motivation: the childhood abduction of his sister, Samantha. Plot Summary
: Critics note strong visual and thematic homages to Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Poltergeist .